Kapunan: Defense’s ‘I don’t know’ alibi makes VP Duterte look ‘dumb’

MANILA, Philippines — Should the defense panel for the impeachment trial insist that Vice President Sara Duterte was unaware of the documents bearing her signature, it would only prove that the country’s second-highest official is dumb, lawyer Lorna Kapunan said on Friday.

Kapunan, one of the private lawyers assisting the prosecution panel, said at a press briefing that it was unacceptable for Duterte’s lawyers to keep using an “I don’t know” alibi to try to exonerate the vice president from alleged wrongdoing.

READ: Ridon: VP’s defense for bank records is to push blame toward dad

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The private prosecutor made the statement after being asked about the list of witnesses that the defense submitted to the Senate Impeachment Court. The list included a corporate counsel for Gencorp Industries Inc., a company listed in Duterte’s sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), even though her name does not appear in the company’s general information sheet.

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“She might say that it was just prepared by the corporate secretary, the vice president does not know.  Ito na naman ‘yon does not know, hindi niya alam ‘yong defense.  Alamin mo, kasi pumirma ka.  ‘Pag pumirma ka sa dokumento or if your name appears in a document, hindi mo pwedeng sabihin hindi ko alam, kasi ang taumbayan hindi mo na made-denggoy,” Kapunan said.

(She might say that it was just prepared by the corporate secretary, the vice president does not know.  Here we are again with the ‘does not know’ defense.  You should know that because you sign documents.  If you sign documents or if your name appears in a document, you cannot say that you do not know because the people will no longer buy that alibi.)

“So the defense of I do not know is not acceptable.  It’s not acceptable at all,” she added.

Kapunan said that if Duterte, a lawyer by profession, would sign on documents without her knowing the details of it, it only means that she is stupid, and is unfit for office or any higher elective post.

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“Alam niya ang ibig sabihin ng signature.  Tanga ka ba na pipirma ka ng dokumento na hindi mo alam?  Ano’ng tawag do’n, fitness, unfitness?  Tanga ang tawag do’n ‘di ba, pipirma ka hindi mo alam ‘yong pinipirmahan mo.  Mag-elect ba tayo ng katangahan na ‘yan for a public office?” Kapunan asked.

(She knows what a signature means.  Are you stupid that you will sign a document that you’re not aware of?  What do you call that, fitness, unfitness?  You call that stupidity, right?  You would sign something that you do not know.  Will you elect someone that stupid for a public office?)

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“Ikaw ba ay kukuha ng isang public official na ang laging sagot ay hindi ko alam?  Pax Silica nga, Pax Silica, sinabi ‘faxsili ka’ hindi ko alam ‘yan na Pax Silica na ‘yan.  Eh ano’ng alam niya?   Hindi rin alam ang account ng tatay niya, hindi alam (ang account) ng asawa niya.  Kilala pa ba niya ‘yong asawa niya?  O hindi na rin niya kilala ‘yong asawa niya?  Or iba na ‘yong kilala niya?” she added.

(Will you pick a public official whose usual answer is she does not know?  When it came to Pax Silica, she read it as ‘faxsili ka’ and then said she does not know that Pax Silica.  So what does she know?  She also does not know her father’s accounts, and her husband’s accounts.  Does she know her husband?  Or she also does not know who she is?  Or she knows somebody else?)

This is not the first time that a member of the prosecution panel noticed that Duterte’s strategy was supposedly to blame other individuals except herself. 

Last October 8, public prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said that it seems the vice president is now pushing the buck towards her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

Ridon said this after the prosecution’s witnesses identified several bank accounts under the name of Vice President Duterte and former president Duterte.

The lawmaker in particular was referring to the defense’s line of questioning during the proceedings, after the prosecution quizzed the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) representative about joint accounts and manager’s checks belonging to the father and daughter tandem.

In the cross examination, counsel for the respondent Michael Poa asked whether the vice president signed off on the purchases of manager’s checks — which Ridon said is an indication that the defense would make it seem that Duterte did not know about these financial transactions.

READ: Sara Duterte not a signatory to P41-M manager’s checks – BPI docs

According to Ridon, it also appears that the vice president Duterte’s lawyers are doing the same thing for Carpio, as there were questions from the defense on whether a person can ask banks to look into his or her spouse’s accounts.

Also in September prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said that Vice President Duterte’s brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, may have been placed in a precarious position if it is true that he was unaware that his sister had shares in a company that dealt with the local government.

Alonto Adiong further said that Vice President Duterte’s supposed failure to inform Mayor Duterte that she had a stake in Gencorp while the company entered into contracts with the Davao City government showed her character.

Duterte’s trial has been on a break since October 13, and will resume on November 9 with the defense presenting evidence to dispute Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

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With the withdrawal of the articles, Duterte’s legal team is only required to mount a defense for Article II.  Should the Senate impeachment court convict Duterte, she will be removed from office and may be perpetually disqualified from holding public office. /jpv